Teenage offenders to be given alternative to court

Criminal offenders aged 14 to 18 will be dealt with outside the judicial system, Justice Minister Ionas Nicolaou said on Tuesday, announcing a cabinet-approved decision to introduce alternative processes for young offenders.

“We have completed legislation on youth delinquency, allowing underage offenders from 14 to 18 – because no criminal liability can be awarded for those younger than 14 – to be offered an alternative to court treatment,” Nicolaou said.

“It is an out-of-court treatment of children, as well as, in the cases that do go to court, different procedures than the current regime, thus ensuring a child-focused approach to trying to return a child to legality.”

This is a great modernising measure, which will be implemented for the first time, the minister said.

“Cyprus law is modernising and coming in line with the law of modern states – more particularly, European Union member states,” he said.

Information

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always strove to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people.
observers describe it as politically conservative